Calif. May Charge More for Popular University Campuses

As the University of California struggles with state budget cuts, officials are considering raising tuition at certain higher-demand campuses within the system. Under the proposal, in-state students would pay more to attend, say, the prestigious UC Berkeley or popular UCLA than UC Riverside or Santa Cruz, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Students might have to pay a premium to attend UC Berkeley. (Getty Images Photo)

Proponents say the proposal would raise funds that the whole system could share. Opponents say the plan is elitist and would lead to divisions within the 10-campus UC system.

Other state university systems have established varying tuition rates at their campuses, R. Michael Tanner of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities told the Times.

Tanner acknowledged that most of those systems have a clear flagship or central campus, such as the University of Texas at Austin or the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where tuition is generally higher than at other branches.